A new monument, the Labor Monument: Philadelphia’s Tribute to the American Worker, was unveiled in a ceremony earlier this month at the city’s Elmwood Park. Created by artist John Kindness, the monument—seven table-top sized “work buttons” (see photo)—memorialize the contributions of labor nationwide and Philadelphia’s working-class history.

At 12:11 a.m., Florencio Avalos, the first of 33 miners trapped for 69 days in Chile’s San Jose mine, emerged to the embrace of his family and friends. And workers, especially those who work deep in the earth in mines, let out a cheer and a deep sigh of relief. The rescue effort to free the miners, who have been in the Atacama Desert mine since Aug. 5, is going like clockwork, according to the Associated Press. Read more »

Project Heat’s On, the Twin Cities Pipefitters’ volunteer effort to service and clean furnaces for low-income, elderly and disabled homeowners, celebrated its 25th anniversary this year, and the mayors of both cities issued official proclamations declaring “Heat’s On Day” in their communities.

Since the start of the program in 1986, Heat’s On – which stands for “Handicapped and Elderly Assistance to Service Our Neighbors” – union pipefitters have volunteered more than 28,000 work hours, servicing furnaces in more than 6,700 households. Read more »

Robert Reich, former Secretary of Labor under Bill Clinton has written a new book about our economic mess. AFTERSHOCK may well be the most important book written on the current economic crisis. I say this because it offers a critical insight that I have seen in very few other places: The fundamental cause of our problems is the relentless drive toward income concentration. Read more »